We are experienced cruisers (3 in the last 5 months alone) in our early 60's and even for us, this was more like visiting a nursing home than a vacation.

During the first 48 hours, they insisted on serving us in the Lido under the guise of protecting us from germs. I suspect it had more to do with doling out the food to save the cruise line money. They dropped the habit when we arrrived at Aruba and brought on all new germs. During this time, they were constantly out of stables: decaf coffee, regular coffee, tea, sugar, etc. I finally asked an officer if anyone had told them we were coming on board and if they were prepared for us. He replied that they were, but hadn't had time to unpack the food they have brought on board. I think that was because all the waiters were standing there handing us small juice glasses of liquid to keep us from overdoing it. It seemed very cheap on the cruise line's part to bar us from the food and drink.

In the dining room the service and food were both awful. The food was bland; suitable for a nursing home, not a cruise. Nothing had any taste to it! The desert with half a pear in it, for instance, had three small slivers of pear in it only an inch long and a quarter inch wide. The pasta with cilantro had no cilantro in it. We ordered ribs and got slabs of meat that didn't resemble ribs in anyway; there were no bones in the ribs. Often the description didn't even vaguely match what was served. Read more